Exams

Upcoming Dates

Exam dates are as follows…

**Please note that not every class will participate in all exam sessions. Confirmation of which ones each class will take part in will be confirmed nearer the time. Please therefore have all dates in the diary**

Saturday 16th November 2024

Saturday 18th January 2025

Saturday 1st February 2025

Saturday 22nd March 2025

Friday 16th/Saturday 17th May 2025

Saturday 19th July 2025

NATD

NATD aims to promote the enjoyment and knowledge of a variety of dance genres through our teachers’ passion and commitment to the art form. It offers an extensive range of dance forms with a comprehensive range of carefully developed graded syllabi for the amateur and professional. The aim of all our examinations is to encourage a positive approach to achievement and strive for the development of each individual to their maximum potential. The NATD is also the first association to have an accredited Contemporary syllabus. It has also been accredited by OFQUAL and therefore higher grades and qualifications go towards a students portfolio and can also earn them UCAS point for university.

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https://www.natd.org.uk/exams/pdfs/faq_ofqual_ucas.pdf

How exam days work...

All students take exams at our Highams Park venue. Children will be given attendance time which will include time to practice and take the exam. All students below seniors school age will need to be accompanied throughout the duration of the exam sessions. All details of costume/uniform, hair and makeup will be listed on each individual class page. For HP graded exams there will be a rehearsal the Friday evening before the exam so please bare this is mind. Results are received about 2 – 3 weeks after an exam is taken and given out in class. Please note that no child can be entered for an exam unless payment has been received and no child will be entered for an exam unless we feel they have reached the desired standard.

Exams Taken

At HSOD children will take a wide variety of exams to ensure they receive a well rounded dance education. Not all grades will be taken in all disciplines, but each year, each child will take a varied arrangement of exams to ensure they continue to progress each year. Once a week students will take 2 or 3 and twice a week students will take 3 or 4. Street dance and Gymnastic dance students will have one exam a year. The different types of exams can be found below…

Rainbow Awards

Rainbow Awards are taken in the mixed classes from age 3. These are small teacher lead tests to help the children build confidence. Each time a child completes one they will get a diploma, an examiners report form and a new colour to their rainbow. These can be done in any discipline and there are 7 to collect in total with a pot of gold medal to collect after completion.

All students study for exams in a variety of dance styles.

Medals

Medals can be taken in all disciplines. These can either consist of just a dance or they can consist of various dances with a few technical exercises. Juvenile medals are for those aged 7 and below and Junior medals are for those aged 8 and above.

Yearly Awards

Each year the NATD have a yearly award. All students in the middle and upper school, if completed their Rainbow Award, will take one of these. This consists of dances of different disciplines and is a fun and relaxed exam for the students to take in between the grades for which they receive a trophy.

Street Dance Exams

Street dance exams consist of different routines being displayed to the examiner; the younger students will take this as a yearly award and receive a trophy and the older students will work through the levels from Bronze all the way to National Award 3.

Graded Exams

Graded exams are taken within the school from Class up to Advanced level. These can be taken in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Contemporary and Gymnastic Dance. These are much more structured exams and consist of lots of different preparatory exercises, along with theory and a dance at the end. Class level can be teacher lead but preliminary upwards students must complete the exams independently but in small groups with their peers. They start from 15 minutes and go up to an hour long. At the end of a graded exam each student will be receive a diploma and an examiners form. From Grade 1 upwards students are marked for each individual section and therefore a much more detailed result is produced. Higher exams go towards students portfolios and also can gain UCAS POINTS. At HSOD we welcome all students and do the best we can to get each students up to the desired standard, however we are unable to enter any student for a graded exam who has not reached the required standard.

Teaching Qualifications

At HSOD we also run a teaching training programme for anyone who shows an interest. This involves helping out in classes and studying the full syllabi of the chosen discipline. The student has to complete intermediate level and then take a teaching exam about the syllabi as a whole to gain their qualifications. This process has proved to be very enriching for those who take part. It involves not only learning different syllabi but also, gaining confidence in the skills required to deliver their knowledge to others. Starting a new business, running it successfully and all the legal requirements involved in this also forms part of the course.